WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Fire crews worked to contain a tractor trailer fire along Wolcott Street in the Brass City Tuesday. Police say the truck was turning out of a nearby plaza and went to correct itself and then backed into a utility pole.

Report It! video from the scene shows the cab of the tractor trailer fully engulfed in flames.

“We heard a huge boom so I came running out cause I saw something was happening through the window, so we came out my coworker and I,” said Luis. “There was an explosion, huge flames and then the truck was slowly just melting before our eyes.”

Police say the crash was reported just before 11 this morning. Witnesses said fire crews were on the scene within minutes.

At one point, Eversource reported over 400 outages in Waterbury. Witness Altin Frroku said firefighters had to wait to extinguish the truck fire until power was turned off in the area.

“He hit the pole and the pole got crashed right onto the top of the truck and the truck got fire right away,” said Frroku.

Frroku said the truck was on fire for about 15 minutes. Portions of Wolcott Street were closed for two hours while crews cleared the scene. By mid-afternoon the pole had been completely cut down and only a handful of customers remained without power.

“All the man power it took to come and contain the fire and everything it was pretty amazing to see how quickly they responded,” said Luis.

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